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UNITED STATES ALONZO 'W. PORTER,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE METHODS OF PREPARING AND PUTTING UP lLLUMINATlNG-OILSso ASTQ MARK THEIR QUALlTY.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0.146.778, dated January27, 1874; application filed January 15, 1874.

" There are many varieties of illuminatingoils in the market, varyingfrom each other in gravity, the lighter oils being exceedingly volatileat ordinary temperatures, and giving off vapors which form explosivemixtures with the atmospheric air, rendering such oils unsafe and whollyunfit foruse, while the heavier oils, which do not evaporate at ordinarytemperatures, are admirably adapted to illuminating purposes.

My invention has for its object to so mark the heavier oils, and thevarious grades of said oils, and pack the same, that said oils may bereadily recognized and distinguished from the light or unsafe oils atsight, and the different gravities of the safe oils distinguished fromeach other at once without diflieulty, to serve as a safeguard to thepublic against fraud in the substitution of a dangerous for a safegravity of illuminating-oil, and to enable the unlearned to distinguishthe safe brands from the unsafe, whether in the original packages ornot; and it consists in giving to the heavy illuminating-oils, or eachvariety or gravity of the same, a distinct color or tint, by which itmay bereadily known, and in putting up said safe or non-explosiveilluminae' ing-oils in packages colored on the outside to correspondwith the gravity or color of the oil within, so that its character andgravity may be recognized without breaking the packages.

In practice, I make use of all coloring mat ters soluble in the ordinaryilluminating-oils,

such as annotto, turmeric, Prussian blue, the

aniline colors, &c., which I combine with the oils by digesting, eithercold or with the aid of heat, as occasion may require. In coloring theoils I employ the coloring matter in such proportions as to give the oila decided tint, and I usually give each particular gravity a separatecolor to distinguish it from the others, preferring the light colors forthe lighter grades, and the darker for the heavier grades of the oil;but this order may be reversed, if desired, or the colors employedindiscriminately.

The different grades may also be distinguished by different shades ortints of the same color, in which case I prefer to employ the tints inthe order above mentionedviz., the light shades or tints for the lighteroils, &c.

I put up the oil in bottles, cans, barrels, &c., and indicate the coloror gravity of the oil within by painting or coloring the same tocorrespond with the color or gravity of the oil within, or covering itwithpaper or other material properly colored.

What I claim is- I 1. As a new article of manufacture, a nonexplosiveilluminating-oil so marked as to be readily distinguished from theexplosive oils, substantially as herein described.

2. The method herein described of distinguishing different gravitiesofilluminatingoils by giving to each a separate and distinct color,substantially as herein described.

' 3. As newarticles of manufacture, illiuni nating-oils so colored as todistinguish and mark the different grades or gravities of the safe ornon-explosive oils, substantially as herein described.

4. The method of marking the gravity of illuminating-oils by coloringthe packages containing said oils, so as to indicate their character anddistinguish them from each other, substal'itially as herein described,

A. w. ron'rinn.

Witnesses B. J. McUAF nn'rr, W. B. Cannrneron.

PATENT OFFICE.

